From left to right: Students - Marceli Pastusiak, Craig Catson, David Mach (Artist), Kathleen Gibb, Melissa Anderson, Kara McAuley, Frances Barkley (Lecturer)

Art and Design students from Fife College were given a unique opportunity to work with Turner Prize nominee David Mach recently. 

Earlier this month students spent over a week with David at the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries creating his latest monumental sculpture, Odyssey.    

Housed in the Library and Galleries’ spectacular vaulted gallery, the install has been created using shipping containers and a sea of newspapers. The sculpture is inspired by David’s hometown of Methil.

Art and Design students from Level 6, HN Year 1 and HN Year 2 helped construct the sculpture which also used materials such as driftwood and buoys. 

Student Kathleen Gibb said: “We were able to work on the project from day one and see the installation develop from start to finish.  The process has really influenced me as an artist, talking about art in different forms has given me a massive amount of inspiration. Being involved in this project has really influenced me as an artist.”

Visitors to the galleries were able to watch live as the sculpture took shape before an official opening on 17 October. The install will be exhibited at the library and galleries until February 2020.     

David Mach said: “The installation and has been an adventure to make, you are working against time and everybody needs to pull their weight and work as a unit. The students were great for that and a big help in the engineering process.

There was great value for the students being able to chat and exchange ideas. They talked about what they think it’s all about, it’s a big mystery when you’re kicking off at college. We talked about writing, lyrics, music, talked about art, talked about life told jokes and being a human being in the face of things, we all need that, thing like that will influence people further down the line.

The main thing that the students took away from this experience is work! To work harder than everybody else, the secret of life is to put yourself out.”

One of David’s most famous sculptures is Big Heids, three 10-metre high red heads made from steel tubes which overlook the M8 in Lanarkshire.

For more information about Creative Industries courses at Fife College visit www.fife.ac.uk/creative.